Folding mechanism



April 23, 1935.

c. DEWSBERRY FOLDING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l c DEWSBERRY' April 23, 1935.

FOLDING MECHANI SM Filed Jan. 19, 1932 2 sheeissheet' 2 Patented Apr. 23, 1935 E 5. EATS FQLDING MECHANISM Gharles Dewsberry, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Ellinois Application January 19, 1932, Serial No. 587,497

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to folding mechanism and more particularly to new and useful improvements in the folding mechanism of rotary printing presses for displacing certain of the papers in the delivered stack and thereby dividing the stack into groups each of which contains a predetermined number of papers.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out, in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating one embodiment of the present invention, certain of the parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 and showing the parts in a different position.

The present invention is directed to providing a method of and means for insuring a uniform arrangement'or stacking of the folded products as they are delivered regardless of the speed of operation of the folding mechanism. Another object of the invention is the provision of such means which will not interfere with the normal operation of the displacing or product counting means.

In the usual form of delivery mechanism employed in connection with rotary'folding mechanism for high speed printing presses, the folded products are individually delivered into the pockets of a rotary fly which lowers and turns the product, finally laying it on a series of moving delivery belts. When such a mechanism is operated at highspeed, the movement of the product by the rotary fly creates a relatively large amount of centrifugal force tending to throw the products out of the pockets of the fly. The products are also customarily brought to rest against the stationary stop after which they drop onto the delivery belt, and at high speeds there is a tendency of the products to bounce away traveling delivery belts. I

from the stop instead of dropping vertically onto the delivery belts. These uncontrolled movements of the products interfere with the uniform stacking on the delivery belts, rendering it difficult,'and often impossible, to determine which of the products is the one indicating the count. Consequently, an incorrect number of products may be picked up by the operator from the stack on the delivery belts.

In accordance with the present invention, 10 means are provided for preventing movement of the products by centrifugal force,and for holding the product against'bouncing as it is suddenly brought to rest and dropped on to the Referring now in detail to the embodimentof the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, the rollers l and Z of the transverse folder, which makes the final cross-fold in the newspaper, are journalled in the side. frames 3. A rotary fly 4 has its' shaft 5 also journalled in frames 3 and is provided with a plurality of arms 6, between which are the pockets '5 for receiving completed newspapers as they are individually delivered from the folding rollers l and 2.

As is usual, the rotary fly 4 is rotated and the newspapers are individually delivered into the pocket 1, and by rotation of the fly they are brought against a stationary stop and finally, dropped on to a delivery device, such as a travelling belt 8 running over roller 9 journalled in the arms H). The papers, as delivered on the belts 8, are arranged in a row or series, withcertain of said papers displaced from the other wise uniform arrangement to indicate groups, each of which contains a predetermined number of newspapers.

For effecting this periodic displacement of certain of the newspapers, any suitable form of mechanism may be provided such as that shown in the prior patent to Evensen, No. 1,825,998 of 1931. As'embodied, a kicker or flipper arm l5, adapted to operate periodically upon a folded paper in the fly and prevent its coming back into the fly as far as it otherwise would just as it is delivered, ismounted on a shaft i5; connected by link It toarm I6. Arm i8 is mounted on a shaft i7 journalled in the machine frame 3, and at one end of said shaft is an arm i8 provided at its end with a cam roller 49 cooperating with the slowly driven cam 20, geared to and driven from the folding mechanism. l C

V In its general features, the mechanism just described in detail is similar to the usual form of delivery mechanism, and if operated at high speeds, causes the irregular delivery of the products as they are laid on the delivery belts 3. The sudden stopping of the newspapers as their folded edge is brought into contact with the stop 2!, causes them to bound back and away from the stop and prevents their dropping vertically on to the delivery belts. Furthermore, the centrifugal force caused by the rapid movement of newspapers around shaft 5 as a center, also tends to move the papers outwardly of the fly, the extent of this movement depending on the speed of the press.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for retaining the products within the pockets during a considerable portion of their arcuate travel, holding them against outward movement until the folded edge engages the stop 2!, thus preventing bouncing of the product and insuring that the product drops vertically on to the delivery belts As embodied, a plurality of guides are provided closely adjacent to the fly t and positioned to engage the outer edge of the newspaper product. Guides 25 are alined with each other and positioned directly beneath the folding roller 5, extending downwardly and to one side of the fly l and are supported in a fixed position on rod 26.

Each of guides 25 is formed with an inner face substantially concentric with shaft 5, and spaced from the fly a distance just sufflcient to permit it to engage the outer edge of the newspapers while they are being moved by fly 4. In the embodied form, three guides 25 are employed, positioned between the groups of arms 6, but any other suitable number of guides may be used.

Guides 25 extend downwardly a distance just sufficient to enable them to be kept in contact with theouter .edge of the newspaper until a very short interval of time after the inner or folded edge of the newspaper has been brought to rest against stationary stop 2! After the newspaper has been brought to rest against stop 21, the newspaper begins to drop vertically, and is freed from the guide 25 by its downward movement.

When ldcker i5 is operated to cause the displacement of the group-indicating newspaper, the inner or folded edge of the newspaper m brought to rest at an earlier time than otherwise, and the outer edge will be cramped to a slight extent by guides 25. This does not interfere with the operation of the delivery mechanism or the newspaper displacing mechanism, for the inner or folded edge of the product is maintained against the kicker or flipper arm 55 until the product has been dropped to a slight extent, and this small downward movement is suflicient to free the outer edge of the newspaper from guide The folded edge of the paper is held away from stop 2| and the paper falls onto the delivery belts 3 in an advanced or groupindicating position.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is;-

1. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combination a rotary fly into which folded products are delivered, a moving surface onto which the products are placed by the fly, a kicker for displacing a product after delivery of a predetermined number of products and means cooperating with said fly to prevent outward movement of the products in said fly until the products are brought closely adjacent to said surface, said means permitting normal operation of the kicker.

2. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combination a rotary fly into which products are delivered, delivery belts onto which said products are placed by the fly, a kicker for displacing certain of said products as they are placed on the fly and a depending bar normally stationary and adjacent to the fly and terminating above said belts a distance just sufflcient to permit normal operation of said kicker, said bar preventing outward movement of the products within said fly by centrifugal force and holding said products against bounding as they contact with the kicker.

3. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combination a rotary fly into which folded products are delivered, a moving surface onto which the products are delivered by the fly, means for stopping the forward motion of the front edge of the product and means for holding the products within the fly during a portion of a revolution comprising a member adapted to form an abutment along which the outer edge of the product slides during the time the product is in said fly, the lower end of said member being positioned to release the outer edge of said product substantially at the time said forward edge is stopped.

a. A delivery mechanism for high speed folders including in combination a rotary fly into which folded'p-roducts are delivered, a moving surface onto which the products are delivered by the fly, means for stopping the forward motion of the front edge of the product and means for holding the products within the fly during a portion of a revolution comprising a member adapted to form an abutment along which the outer edge of the product slides during the time the product is in said fly, said member extending to the position of the outer edge of the product at the end of its forward movement. 7

5. A delivery mechanism for high speed rotary presses including in combination a rotary fly into which products are delivered and adapted to operate at speeds to create sufficient centrifugal force to tend to disarrange the products in said fly, a moving surface ,onto which said products are delivered by said fly, means for stopping the forward motion of the front edge of the products and a member projecting downwardly to one side of said fly and along which the outer edge of said products slide while moved by said fly.

6. A delivery mechanism for high speed rotary presses including in combination a rotary fly into which products are delivered and adapted to operate at speeds to create sufficient centrifu-- gal force to tend to disarrange the products in said fly, a moving surface onto which said proclucts are delivered by said fly, means for stopping the forward motion 0. the front edge of the products and a member projecting downwardly to one side of said fly and along which the outer edge of said products slide while moved by said fly, said member terminating at a point to release the outer edge of the products as the forward edge is stopped in its forward movement.

CHARLES DEWSBERRY. 

